New national side of euro coins intended for circulation

(2018/C 16/03)

Euro coins intended for circulation have legal tender status throughout the euro area. For the purpose of informing the public and all parties who handle the coins, the Commission publishes a description of the designs of all new coins (1). In accordance with the Council conclusions of 10 February 2009 (2), euro-area Member States and countries that have concluded a monetary agreement with the European Union providing for the issuing of euro coins are allowed to issue commemorative euro coins intended for circulation, provided that certain conditions are met, particularly that only the 2-euro denomination is used. These coins have the same technical characteristics as other 2-euro coins, but their national face features a commemorative design that is highly symbolic in national or European terms.

Issuing country : Latvia

Subject of commemoration : Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will jointly issue a commemorative euro coin with a common design in 2018, celebrating the establishment of the States of Estonia and Latvia and the re-establishment of the State of Lithuania

Description of the design : The three baltic States are symbolically represented as a braid. They are united by their history: a common past, present and future. A stylized numeral representing the 100th anniversary, and the heraldic signs of all three States, are featured as well. At the left side is the name of the issuing country ‘LATVIJA’ and at the right side is the year of issuance ‘2018’. The design was selected by public voting in all three Baltic countries.

The coin’s outer ring depicts the 12 stars of the European flag.

Estimated number of coins to be issued :

Date of issue : First quarter of 2018

(1)  See OJ C 373, 28.12.2001, p. 1 for the national faces of all the coins issued in 2002.

(2)  See the conclusions of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council of 10 February 2009 and the Commission Recommendation of 19 December 2008 on common guidelines for the national sides and the issuance of euro coins intended for circulation (OJ L 9, 14.1.2009, p. 52).